Pneumatic bobbin hanger

ABSTRACT

Inflation of a bellows encased within a main cylindrical body caused by timed introduction of compressed air pushes down a slider overcoming a spring force and the lower end of the slider forces a pair of swingable pawls to move to the open disposition overcoming a spring force through vertical slots formed through the main cylindrical body shell. A downwardly open hood-shaped skirt may be disposed to the cylindrical body for reliable registration of the hanger at the bobbin and undesirable corotation of the bobbin with the spindle at the time of bobbinspindle engagement is prevented by a frictional member disposed to the skirt.

United States Patent [1 1 Imai et al. July 3, 1973 [54] PNEUMATIC BOBB'IN HANGER 3.367.098 2/1968 Schulz 57/52 Inventors: "dim" [ma], g h ya wku 3,512,73l 5/1970 Kltamura 242/1302 31: 2:1 g gg g of Ja an Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian 8 y p ArtorneyWoodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [731 Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd., Kyoto;

Kanebo Ltd., Tokyo, Japan 57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: June 19, 1972 Inflation of a bellows encased within a main cylindrical body caused by timed introduction of compressed air [21] Appl' 264383 pushes down a slider overcoming a spring force and the lower end of the slider forces a pair of swingable pawls [52] US. Cl. 242/1302, 242/ 129.7 to move to the open disposition overcoming a spring [51] Int. Cl. B65h 49/02, DO3j 5/08 force through vertical slots formed through the main [58] Field of Search ..242/l29.7l 30.2, 72 R; cylindrical body shell. A downwardly open hood- 279/2, 4; 269/20, 48,1; 57/52 shaped skirt may be disposed to the cylindrical body for reliable registration of the hanger at the bobbin and un- [56] R f n Cit d desirable co-rotation of the bobbin with the spindle at UNITED STATES PATENTS the time of bobbin-spindle engagement is prevented by 3,273,8l7 9/1966 Damiron 242/72 a fnctonal member dsmsed to the 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented July 3, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented July 3, 1973 3,743,211

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PNEUMATIC BOBBIN HANGER The present invention relates to a pneumatic bobbin hanger, more particularly relates to a bobbin hanger operation on bobbins by timed supply of compressed air into an inflatable bellows encased in the main body thereof.

The typical conventional bobbin hanger is provided with a collar slidably inserted over the main body thereof. In the operation, the collar slides up and down on the main body and such vertical sliding of the collar allows the bobbin hanger as a whole to catch or release bobbins. With the bobbin hanger of this type, it has been experienced in the actual use thereof that malfunctions are often caused by the fact that the operation of the bobbin hanger is dependent upon the vertical sliding of the collar only.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a bobbin hanger of pneumatic type with increased reliability and operable on bobbins.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bobbin hanger of pneumatic type and capable of being registered at the bobbin without fail.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bobbin hanger of pneumatic type and capable of ensuring successful engagement of the bobbin bottom with the spindle at the start of pirn building.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic bobbin hanger operable with minimized air leakage.

In order to attain the above-described objects, the bobbin hanger of the present invention is provided with an inflatable bellows communicated to a given compressed air supply source and a pair of pawls to be operated by the bellows. Inflation of the bellows by timed introduction of the compressed air urges the pawls towards the open disposition via an intervening slider so as to catch the bobbin. Upon discharge of the compressed air, the pressure on the pawls is cancelled and the latter resume their closed disposition by spring force so as to release the bobbin.

Further features and advantages of the present invention willbe made clear from the ensuing description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a partly sectional side plane view of a basic embodiment of the bobbin hanger of the present invention with the pawls in the closed disposition,

FIG. 2 is a partly sectional, partly omitted, side plane view of the bobbin hanger shown in FIG. 1 with the pawls in the open disposition,

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional, partly omitted, side plane view of a modified embodiment of the bobbin hanger of the present invention, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional side plane view of the main part of a further modified embodiment of the bobbin hanger of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a basic embodiment of the bobbin hanger of the present invention is shown. The bobbin hanger includes, as major components, a compressed air supply tube 1 connected to a pneumatic pressure source (not shown), a holder block 2 turnably mounted on the tube 1 and a main cylindrical body 3 detachably disposed at its upper end to the holder block 2.

The air supply tube 1 is provided with an axial hole 4 forming a passageway of the compressed air supplied from the pneumatic pressure source and a radial hole 6 communicating to the axial hole 4 and opening at the periphery of the tube 1 into a cavity 7 formed within the holder block 2. The tube 1 is held by a supporter arm 8 of the hoist mechanism (not shown) of the machine to which the present invention is applied.

The holder block 2 is mounted onto the air supply tube 1 in an arrangement tumable about the longitudinal axis of the tube 1.

The main cylindrical body 3 is detachably disposed at its upper end to the holder block 2 with its internal cavity directly communicated to the cavity 7 of the holder block 2. A bellows 9 is inserted inside the main cylindrical body 3 with its internal space directly communicating to the cavity 7 of the holder block 2. In contact with the bottom of the bellows 9, a slider 11 is slidably placed inside the main cylindrical body 3 also. The slider 11 is made up of an upper part of larger diameter and a lower part of smaller diameter and downwardly integral with the upper part. An annular stopper 12 is disposed inside of the main cylindrical body 3 while allowing a free sliding movement of the lower part of the slider 11 and a compression spring 13 is placed in be-. tween the downside shoulder of the upper part of the slider 11 and the annular stopper 12, the compression spring 13 loosely encompassing the lower part of the slider 11. Owing to the provision of the compression spring 13, the slider 11 is always resiliently urged towards the bottom of the bellows 9. At a level a little below the annular stopper 12, a pair of vertical slots 14 are formed through the shell of the main cylindrical body 3 in symmetry about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body 3. In the region of the slots 14, a pin 16 is fixed inside the cylindrical body 3 with its axial direction being substantially at right angles to the imaginary diametral line connecting both slots 14. A pair of pawls 17 are pivotally mounted on the pin 16 and a coil spring 18 is mounted on the pin 16 also in order to urge both pawls 17 towards the inside as shown in FIG. 1. (This disposition is referred to as closed" in the following description.) The dimension of the slots 14 is so selected that the pawls 17 can smoothly pass through them when they are pivoted outside as later described in detail. Detail of the mounting of the coil spring 18 is omitted in the drawing for the salse of simplicity.

The bobbin hanger of the present invention having the above-described structure operates in actual use in the following manner.

In the first place, the bobbin hanger as a whole lowers towards the bobbin 19 in position and the lower part of the main cylindrical body 3 enters the center hole 21 of the bobbin 19. When the lower part of the main cylindrical body 3 has entered the hole 21 over a prescribed length, the lowering of the bobbin hanger stops. In this disposition, compressed air is supplied into the bellows 9 from the given pneumatic pressure source (not shown) via the air supply tube 1 and inflation of the bellows 9 caused thereby pushes the slider 11 downward overcoming the repelling force of the com pression spring 13 (see FIG. 2).

By this downward movement of the slider l l, the bottom of the lower part of the slider 11 abuts the upper fringes of the pawls l7 and the pawls 17 are compulsively pivoted outside thereby overcoming the force of the coil spring 18. (This disposition is referred to'as open in the following description.)

In this open disposition, the pawls 17 extend outside the main cylindrical body 3 passing through the slots 14 with their free ends directed towards the inner wall of the bobbin 19.

Next, the bobbin hanger as a whole is lifted and the ends of the pawls l7 abut the internal shoulder 22 of the bobbin 19 so that the bobbin 19 is hoisted with the bobbin hanger. By the weight of the bobbin 19, which operates on the pawls 17 via the contact between the shoulder 22 and the pawl ends, the pawls 17 are kept in the open disposition even when the supply of the compressed air is interrupted.

As the time of disengaging the bobbin 19 from the bobbin hanger, the bobbin 19 is placed in position by lowering the bobbin hanger as a whole. By further lowering of the bobbin hanger, the pawls 17 are released from the contact with the shoulder 22 of the bobbin l9 and they resume the closed disposition shown in FIG. 1 under the spring force of the coil spring 18. Following this, by lifting the bobbin hanger as a whole, the lower part of the main cylindrical body 3 escapes from the center hole 21 of the bobbin 19 without difiiculty and the bobbin 19 is completely disengaged from the bobbin hanger of the present invention.

In the actual use of the bobbin hanger of the present invention, it is oftentimes observed that the lower portion of the, main cylindrical body 3 cannot be successfully registered at the center hole 21 of the bobbin 19 due to accidental swinging or vibration of the bobbin hanger. In order to obviate such error in the registration, a modified embodiment of the bobbin hanger of the present invention such as shown in FIG. 3 is proposed by the inventor of the present invention.

The bobbin hanger shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a downwardly opening hood-shaped skirt 101, the closed end of which is provided with a center opening. The main cylindrical body 3 of this embodiment is provided with an outer shoulder at the boundary between the upper part of smaller diameter and the lower part of larger diameter and the fringe of the center opening of the closed end of the skirt 101 rests on this shoulder of the cylindrical body 3. The skirt 101 is disposed to the cylindrical body 3 in a vertically slidable but not angularly turnable arrangement. A compression spring 102 is inserted between the upper face of the closed end of the skirt 101 and the lower face of the holder block 2 encompassing the stem of the cylindrical body 3. The lower part of the skirt 101 is outwardly diverged.

When desired, a frictional member 103, e.g. a rubber segment, may be disposed to the inner face of the closed end of the skirt 101.

In the actual use of the bobbin hanger of this embodiment, the bobbin hanger as a whole is lowered towards the bobbin 19 in position. When the cylindrical body 3 is not in a vertical alignment with the bobbin 19 for any reason, the inner surface of the diverged part of the skirt 101 contacts the bobbin 19 in position and, following further lowering of the bobbin hanger, the lower end of the main cylindrical body 3 is brought to a position registrable at the center hole of the bobbin 19 being influenced by the sliding contact of the bobbin head with the skirt 101. Thus the main cylindrical body 3 of the bobbin hanger can be reliably registered at the center hole of the bobbin to be donned or doffed.

In addition to this function, the bobbin hanger of this embodiment operates without undesirable co-rotation of the bobbin with the spindle as the latter rotates slightly for a firm engagement with the bobbin bottom prior to starting the normal winding operation. When a bare bobbin is to be inserted over a spindle, the bobbin hanger as a whole lowers and the bobbin is inserted over the spindle while the bobbin head comes in contact withthe frictional member 103 of the skirt 101. The bobbin hanger further lowers so that the bobbin is resiliently pressed downward by the compression spring 102 via the frictional member 103. Owing to such spring pressing, rotation of the spindle for the engagement does not cause undesirable rotation of the bobbin already inserted over the spindle.

Because the function of the bobbin hanger of the present invention is based on the pneumatic system, it is desirable in the actual use thereof to provide some measure for preventing possible leakage of the pneumatic medium.

Referring to FIG. 4, an embodiment of the bobbin hanger of the present invention provided with such a measure is shown. In the case of this embodiment, an air supply tube 201, which is connected to a given supply source (not shown) of compressed air and has holes 4 and 6 also, is provided with a flange part 202. This flange part 202 abuts a shoulder formed in the internal cavity of the holder block 2. 0n the outer side of this flange part 202, a rubber seal 203 is placed leaving a small gap in between. A set nut 204 is threaded into the cavity from outside in contact with a washer plate 206. Beyond the inner end of the air supply tube 201, a chamber 207 is formed within the holder block 2, in which chamber the axial hole 4 of the supply tube 201 opens.

In operation, when the pneumatic supply starts, a part of the compressed air is introduced into the chamber 207 and the pressure so generated within the chamber 207 pushes the tube 201 as a whole slightly to the right in the drawing. By this slight sliding of the tube 201, the flange part 202 comes into pressure contact with the rubber seal 203 and leakage of the compressed air is effectively prevented.

What is claimed is:

1. A pneumatic bobbin hanger comprising, in combination, a holder block connected to a hoist mechanism of said bobbin hanger, an elongated main cylindrical body carried by said holder block at its upper open end and having a pair of vertical slots formed through the lower part thereof, an inflatable bellows placed inside of said main cylindrical body and having an upper open end communicating to a given supply source of compressed air via the internal cavity of said holder block, a pair of swingable pawls mounted on a common pivot fixed to the lower part of said main cylindrical body interior, first means for resiliently urging said pawls towards the closed disposition, a slider placed inside said main cylindrical body with its upper end contacting the bottom of said bellows and its lower end directing said pair of pawls and second means for resiliently urging said slider towards said bellows.

2. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bellows is communicated to said given supply source of the compressed air by an air supply tube which is provided with mutually communicating axial and radial holes, said axial hole communicates to said supply source of compressed air and said radial hole communicates to the interior of said bellows via a cavity formed inside said holder block.

3. A pneumatic bobbin hanger-as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first resilient urging means for the pawls includes a coil spring mounted on said common pivot and connected to both pawls.

4. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second resilient urging means includes an annular stopper fixed inside said main cylindrical body at a position just above the vertical slots and a compression spring inserted between said annular stopper and the shoulder of said slider while encircling the lower part of said slider.

5. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the positions of said vertical slots are so chosen that said pawls pass smoothly through the respective vertical slots when they are urged towards the open disposition.

6. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a downwardly opening hood-shaped skirt disposed to said main cylindrical body in a vertically slidable arrangement and a compression spring disposed between the upper end of said skirt and the lower face of said holder block.

7. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a frictional member disposed to the inside face of the upper end of said skirt.

8. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air supply tube is provided with a flange placed in the cavity of said holder block in such an arrangement that said supply tube is axially and slightly displaceable, a rubber seal is placed inside said cavity also and a chamber is formed inside said holder block beyond the inner end of said supply tube with its axial hole communicating to said chamber. 

1. A pneumatic bobbin hanger comprising, in combination, a holder block connected to a hoist mechanism of said bobbin hanger, an elongated main cylindrical body carried by said holder block at its upper open end and having a pair of vertical slots formed through the lower part thereof, an inflatable bellows placed inside of said main cylindrical body and having an upper open end communicating to a given supply source of compressed air via the internal cavity of said holder block, a pair of swingable pawls mounted on a common pivot fixed to the lower part of said main cylindrical body interior, first means for resiliently urging said pawls towards the closed disposition, a slider placed inside said main cylindrical body with its upper end contacting the bottom of said bellows and its lower end directing said pair of pawls and second means for resiliently urging said slider towards said bellows.
 2. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bellows is communicated to said given supply source of the compressed air by an air supply tube which is provided with mutually communicating axial and radial holes, said axial hole communicates to said supply source of compressed air and said radial hole communicates to the interior of said bellows via a cavity formed inside said holder block.
 3. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first resilient urging means for the pawls includes a coil spring mounted on said common pivot and connected to both pawls.
 4. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second resilient urging means includes an annular stopper fixed inside said main cylindrical body at a position just above the vertical slots and a compression spring inserted between said annular stopper and the shoulder of said slider while encircling the lower part of said slider.
 5. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the positions of said vertical slots are so chosen that said pawls pass smoothly through the respective vertical slots when they are urged towards the open disposition.
 6. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a downwardly opening hood-shaped skirt disposed to said main cylindrical body in a vertically slidable arrangement and a compression spring disposed between the upper end of said skirt and the lower face of said holder block.
 7. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a frictional member disposed to thE inside face of the upper end of said skirt.
 8. A pneumatic bobbin hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air supply tube is provided with a flange placed in the cavity of said holder block in such an arrangement that said supply tube is axially and slightly displaceable, a rubber seal is placed inside said cavity also and a chamber is formed inside said holder block beyond the inner end of said supply tube with its axial hole communicating to said chamber. 